RW3Y - All Fairy Tales End (AFTE): Prometheus
by Ace-Triad
Summary: Long after Salem's defeat, the world has picked itself up and continues to move forward. But the Grimm still continue to pose a threat to mankind, and the mistakes of the past continue to haunt the present. Will Team RWBY and co. stop this new threat? May feature OCs, and inspired by Dishwasher1910's and SixUnderOneXSix's R.W.3.Y. fanfiction.


In the Kingdom of Mistral, a bright white, capital cruiser majestically soared in its bright blue skies.

The _Edelweiss_ was the brand new flagship of the _Special Research and Extermination Division_ (S.R.E.D.), a new task force dedicated to combating Grimm incursions wherever they went. It contained all of the state-of the art technology that Atlas could offer (surpassing its fleet of high-tech laser-firing capital battlecruisers), because while Salem was defeated, the Grimm still posed a threat. Sure, they technically were non-malicious creatures created long before mankind by the Brother of Darkness, and were simply used as foot soldiers for a malevolent being, but they _still_ posed a threat to mankind, and _someone_ needed to keep the peace.

Weiss Schnee looked out at the window and gazed at the clouds. As an officer of the Atlesian military and one of the founders of the SRED (along with being a major benefactor), she had risen through the ranks in the crisis. Her accolades as a war hero were numerous, and she became known as a leader of military technology and Grimm suppression. She saw it fit to follow in her sister's footsteps and to honor her father figure in General Ironwood - to bring order, peace and structure in the face of chaos as an soldier of the Atlesian armed forces, rather than a loose cannon that was a Huntress.

Unlike the last few times, however, she wasn't dreaming about the past, but actively reflecting on what had transpired.

Once she had returned to Atlas, she had crossed paths with Whitley and her abusive father Jacques. At first, she loathed the two of them, and felt betrayed by Whitley. However, after giving it some thought, she conceded some points.

While Jacques was a greedy, racist scumbag willing to endanger the Faunus with volatile explosions and _Crystal Lung Disease_ mining for his profit, his cunning and his financial savvy allowed the company to drastically improve in effectiveness, profitability, and importance in the world. Because of him, the _Schnee Dust Company_ grew from one man's small business to arguably Remnant's most important Dust supplier, and indeed the only thing making the world go round.

And though she felt betrayed by Whitley, she came to understand why he did what he did. While Weiss and her sister Winter were lucky to leave home and go to Huntsman Academies, Whitley was abandones to endure the brunt of his father's abuse alone, and had resented the two sisters for also trying to take control of the CEO position, his one last opportunity for happiness. No matter how smug that smile seemed, it was a front to dissuade suspicion and prevent his vulnerabilities from being exploited.

Additionally, the time Whitley spent in learning the family trade proved effective, as she had to admit that juggling running the world's most important business and devoting her time to being a Huntress was not realistic, nor would it achieve major changes. Sympathizing with his plight, and wanting to do the right thing in the world stopping the Grimm, she decided to leave Whitley as the CEO of the company, as the two reconciled.

However, as a form of punishment, she used her resources to buy a majority stake in the company and become one of the Board of Directors to keep watch over him from time to time. If Whitley failed to reform the company while making the expected profit, or went back to Jacques' reprehensible ways, then she would oust her brother the same way the two of them ousted their father and sent him to the courts. After all, being a shareholder meant that she was the boss of the CEO, and that she could exert influence over him. She hoped that she could be a positive role model for Whitley and free him from Jacques' influence as a kinder man willing to do the right thing.

The fact that Whitley was doing what was expected of him made her relieved. After all, he had something to claim as his own and his sister paid attention to his feelings and was willing to work with him after what he did to him. He had every good reason to be grateful to them and respect their wishes.

But there were other nasty incidents that happened too …

 _"_ _Ruby?"_

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_

 **"** **RUBY, ANSWER ME!"**

 ** _"RUBY!"_**

Weiss had felt tremendous guilt over what happened to Ruby. She felt that she was partially responsible for her current predicament after a new type of Grimm attacked and grievously injured her. She wanted to try and atone in order to make it all better for her. So, she gave her support as a teammate and friend, and had a team of scientists compensate for her loss with their technological expertise.

"You seem troubled. Coffee?"

Weiss turned around to see a purple-haired young woman wearing a labcoat and having her hair tied in a loose ponytail. She eschewed the typical strict bun and glasses look most of her peers wore as it made her feel stereotypical and stiff, and wanted to feel more open and personable.

"Thanks, Dr. Fr…. I mean, _Tori_."

"No problem, Weiss," she replied with a warm smile.

Dr. Victoria "Tori" Frankenstein was a member of the SRED, as scientist, roboticist, and when need be, as a medic. In exchange for her membership, she was the one who designed a brand new pair of high-tech prosthetic legs for Ruby to use - after her old ones were bitten off. A robotics genius, she was a respected child prodigy, and had previously worked in several companies designing technological products such as androids and prosthetics. She wanted to join as she wanted to help in the effort to stop the Grimm from threatening the world.

She even trained in combat and medicine in order to apply her skills in real-time combat, and was commended for her bravery even in the face of the Grimm. She had of course, admired the Schnee heiress and found her to be open to talk to, just as much as Weiss had respected her work and enjoyed her friendly demeanor.

"Thinking about the past, Weiss?"

"Yeah. I … I just want to say thanks. Thank you for your help. I don't know how we would ever fare without your expertise," Weiss responded, shedding a couple tears as she sipped her coffee.

"No problem. I'm happy to help."

Weiss had a lingering sensation inside her as she had to ask Tori a question.

"Tell me, Tori, what do you do in situations like this? How do you cope?"

The Atlesian scientist sighed as she took a pause to contemplate her own memories.

"Well, not only do I look back on what happened, but if I can't try to fix it, then I'm not going to waste time worrying about it too much and try to focus on what's next in front of me."

Weiss, however, didn't seem too enthused. Tori decided to change the subject.

"So, this friend of yours … she's quite the headstrong girl, isn't she? Even when she's knocked down, she still gets back up. You're pretty lucky to have Ruby as a friend."

The SRED commander smiled as she had to admit it was one of the things she admired about her team captain the most.

"Well, thanks. I just hope she's doing okay …"

Ruby sat in her quarters, looking at pictures in her Scroll.

She remembered her friends, all the times that she had at Beacon.

She remembered her mother, who she still missed to this day.

She remembered all the successes that she had in life, living the dream as a respected Huntress and being a major factor in Salem's defeat. Even though the ancient witch had tried her damnedest to sway her away to nihilism, she still rejected it all and continued to push forward until her eventual victory.

But of course, she remembered her failures as well. She had, after all, lost her legs and needed a replacement.

The strange, new Grimm was a giant, faceless, black blob with rows of large, white teeth. None of her attacks barring Dust rounds were effective against this sadistically grinning blob, as it would just absorb them.

However, the most terrifying thing was that it had produced a deranged imitation of her, perfectly copying her movements and unnerving her with its owl-like neck snap, and its broken speech calling for her to be consumed.

The facsimile was enough for her to consider running, trying to warn the others. Of course, the Grimm took advantage of that and bit her legs from behind. The fact that it had managed to be smarter and tougher than what she expected to the point where it dealt a major injury to her had broken her spirit …

"Okay, sis! Here goes! One … two … three!"

Ruby had struggled to walk as she tried to adjust to her new legs. She realized that she needed the support of her sister, Yang Xiao Long, who went through something similar with her right arm.

"Tell me something, Yang. Is this what it feels like?"

"Is what now?"

"What it means to lose hope. To feel powerless. Scared. Did you feel this way when Adam …"

Yang had a somber expression on her face. Even though she had confronted the former White Fang leader for hurting her friends and taking her arm, she still had to deal with an entire lifetime's worth of PTSD that wouldn't go away. She knew exactly what Ruby had meant, and it troubled her how she was going through the same struggle she once suffered.

"Yeah, Ruby. It's kinda what I went through."

"I'm sorry."

Yang was taken aback with this sudden apology.

"For what now? You're my sister!"

"For not truly understanding how deep what it was like back then. For being a burden to you guys and causing you all this pain if …"

Yang sighed as she was reminded of her own pitiful self.

"You're not a burden, Ruby! And it's not your fault! It's that smiling piece of shit's fault for hurting you! I swear, once I find that Grimm, I'm going show that thing what it really means to _say_ ' ** _Ahh_**!'"

Even though Yang's puns were usually terrible, it did get a giggle out of Ruby with that dental humor of hers.

"Tell me something Yang, what made you go all the way to Mistral?"

"Well," the blonde replied, "it's because of you. When I heard you went all the way to Mistral, I knew I had to do something. Even though part of me is still scared of Adam, I'm more concerned about what happens to you. Because I love you."

Tears fell down Ruby's face as she realized how deeply Yang cared for her. Flashbacks of her playing around and holding her sister's hands resurfaced as she realized that their bond never truly broke. Especially now, after realizing they went through the same struggle and were not so different.

"It will be tough, but I'll be with you, just as always," Yang continued. "And even if I can't, I'm going to damn well try."

"Thanks, sis."

As a sign of their sisterhood, the two proceeded to hug, as they continued her physical therapy...

Ruby sighed, remembering the words Yang had given to her as she looked in the mirror.

"It's pointless, girl! There's no point in saving mankind!" Salem sneered.

"What's wrong with _me_? What's wrong with _you_!? _You're_ supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a **nuisance**!" The old Weiss angrily snapped.

"That's... very ambitious for a _child_. Unfortunately, _the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale_ ," The old Blake sadly remarked.

"How can you be so confident?! People have tried to _kill_ you! The world's about to go to war all over again! How are you okay with **any** of this!?" Oscar used to scream.

"You've got spirit, Red! _But this ... is the real world_! The real world, _is cold_! The real world _doesn't care about spirit_! _You wanna be a hero_? Then play the part and _die like every other Huntsman in history_! As for me, I'll do what I do best - _lie_ , **steal** , **CHEAT** , **_AND SURVIVE_**!" Torchwick ranted before his eventual demise.

"Sometimes bad things _just happen_ , Ruby!" Yang retorted in her despair.

Sure enough, these words stung in light of what had happened. But then, she remembered everything she took to heart as well.

"Well, that's why we're all here. To make the world better."

"I _am_ scared … _but not just for me._ I'd be lying if I said that it didn't hurt, that I didn't think about them every day since I lost them, that I didn't wish I had spent more time with them. If it had been me instead, I know they would have kept fighting too, no matter how dangerous it was. So that's what I choose to do - to _keep moving forward_."

And as she walked out, she put on a smile, while she had every reason to frown. After all, she was a leader. She couldn't afford to fail and bring everyone else down with her. The world needed her to succeed.

And she had to bring her best smile to those who needed it the most.

The conference was quick, but had proven meaningful.

"While High Leader Belladonna and Huntress Xiao Long are tracking down that strange Grimm, we've received reports of significant Grimm activity and several village disappearances," Weiss began.

"So, what makes this different from any regular attack, like a bandit raid or a horde swarming around?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Intel on the ground and witness reports describe the target as a young albino female. She's the only thing consistent with this pattern of attack. I'm not sure if we're dealing with a pyromaniac, or a type of Grimm, but is still a serious threat and a top priority. If we let this continue, entire swarms will still jeopardize the area, let alone the entire continent. Therefore we will prioritize elimination of this individual at all costs - assuming we aren't lucky enough to capture her first."

Everyone present concurred as Weiss continued.

"We won't be doing this alone. Huntsman Ren and Huntress Valkyrie will be joining us, and they will bring a fireteam's worth of local reinforcements. Gear up, we'll be heading out in two minutes. And one more thing - don't die. We can't afford to lose good soldiers like you."  
-

Deep inside the forest, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren led a small band of Huntsmen as they awaited their friends in the SRED, walking towards the designated coordinates.

" _SoRennowthatwe'retogethertogetherIwasthinkingmaybeweshouldstartthinkingaboutgoingonahoneymoonButwhereshouldwegoDoyouhaveanyideaOohoohIknowmaybeweshouldgotoValejustlikeoldtimesOrmaybeonthecoasthereYeahwecouldhaveabeachpartywithTikitorchesButwhatifeveryoneelseusesTikitorchesThenhowwillourpartybespecialWaitmaybewecanbuildaverybigsandcastleIlovesandcastles -_

(So Ren, now that we're together-together, I was thinking maybe we should start thinking about going on a honeymoon. But where should we go? Do you have any idea? Ooh, ooh, I know! Maybe we should go to Vale, just like old times! Or maybe, on the coast here! Yeah, we could have a beach party with Tiki torches! But what if everyone else uses Tiki torches? Then how will our party be special? Wait - maybe we can build a very big sandcastle! I love sandcastles)," Nora said as her motormouthed tangent was interrupted.

"Now now, Nora," Ren replied. "One thing at a time. First, we have to focus on the mission first. It's important for all of us."

"Ohh-kaay, fine," Nora grumbled, slowing down her speech. "Mission first."

Half of the other Huntsmen found their antics to be hilariously cute. The other groaned in disgust.

Now that the two Huntsmen finally cemented their long-running relationship with their marriage, their outlook could only go up. They finally graduated, had a job, and were soon about to settle down and start a family. And maybe pass down their tradition to the next generation and spend the rest of their lives together forever.

Of course, there were costs.

"Well," Ren continued, "there's something we need to do first. We need to pay respects to Mother and Father."

The mood quickly soured as the two of them knew what it implied. They had to endure their village being destroyed by a Nuckleavee. And even though they had defeated it, accomplished their vengeance and overcame their fears, a grim feeling gripped their minds as they knew that many other villagers went through the same fate.

And it was quite sad knowing that their parents would never be able to celebrate their marriage in person, having been the Nuckleavee's victims.

"Right," Nora replied. "I'm sure they would be proud of us, would they?"

"They definitely are," Ren concluded. To him, he was certain not only because he was able to find happiness in the love of his life, but also that he was out there doing the right thing and preventing more people from suffering what he and Nora had suffered.

Suddenly, a gargantuan shadow loomed over them as the group realized what was going on.

"Woow, this never gets old," Nora mused.

"Looks like our friends are close by. Let's go. We can't keep them waiting." Ren replied.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Nora exclaimed with a smirk as they ran to the rendezvous point...

"No … stop … please!"

A civilian lay on the ground screaming as he fell, unable to get up in time and apparently at the mercy of a barefoot young woman with pale skin and white hair garbed in a black dress, while his countrymen fled the area.

But much to his chagrin, all he heard was a single, shocking word as he was face to face with this woman, no, this _thing_.

" _Sorry_."

Walking to a nearby tree, a pair of bare feet walked to a nearby tree around the bushes. A shocked expression lay on the man's unmoving face as a pale, bloodied hand dropped him down and a pair of teeth started biting down on his neck.

As the young woman feasted on what was left on him (and by extension, his fellow villagers), a single bloody tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to smile while eating her meal.

Most would be grateful for being lucky enough to find food, especially if it was hard to come by.

But sometimes, one had to wonder if it was worth it, and she was no different ...  
-

Author's Notes:

I'm not going to lie, I was inspired by dishwasher1910's and SixUnderOneXSix's R.W.3.Y. fanfiction, and so I wanted to make one of my own. However, I'll take a different approach. I'm going to try and focus on making sure any OCs introduced fit into this story, and to try and not involve too much from canon characters whose final fates we don't know yet.

I also decided to briefly summarize some of the previous material, in case they read this first. I apologize if the first chapter is a bit slow paced, because I really wanted to explore the character depth with this unique scenario, compared to later chapters with more fast-paced action.

In all honesty, I was quite sympathetic to Whitley, and in order to compromise with his detractors, I made him a CEO _under the influence of Weiss._

The first OC is an Atlesian scientist who's basically Victor Frankenstein, but nicer and as a girl. She'll have a character arc, but hopefully not outshine our protagonists.

The second is the young woman targeted by the SRED. People may think of her as an obvious twist, but I'm going to try and make her as surprising as possible.

Another new type of Grimm will also be featured in this fanfic. You will be surprised as to how plausible I made it fit into the story, while reminding you of some other outlandish Grimm OC concepts. And you will also be surprised by the way it behaves, especially around our protagonists.

As for why Victoria is associated with the color purple, it is because of the UK's purple-colored "Victoria Cross" medal, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the face of the enemy.

And yes, Blake and Yang will be in future chapters, I just need to think up of a good idea on where to put them for their payback against the teethy blob Grimm ...

Take care, and I hope you'll like it! Don't pull your punches - I'm taking notes and _any_ form of criticism (with substantial thought-out points and arguments, of course) will be helpful in your reviews for future chapters.

-AceTriad


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